Raya Naamneh

Al-Shabaka Policy Member Raya Naamneh is a Palestinian student and activist from Arraba village in the Galilee. She is working on her B.A. in English Language and Literature at Haifa University and is deeply interested in colonial and post-colonial literature as well as intersectional politics as regards the experiences of women and the LGBTQ community around the world, with special focus on Palestinian society. She is an active member of al-Qaws for Sexual and Gender Diversity in Palestinian Society. She recently started working at Baladna – Association for Arab Youth in Haifa as a resources and project development coordinator.

The New Year brought further attacks against the Palestinian citizens in Israel’s rights to exercise freedom of speech and association. Left-wing Israeli Jewish organizations are also under increasing pressure. Al-Shabaka policy members Nadim Nashif and Raya Naamneh analyze the impact of these attacks by both the Israeli government and right wing organizations espousing an extremist ideology.